This invention relates to coin sizing means and method, and, more particularly, to a means and method for use with a coin-operated vending system for detecting undesired and counterfeit coins, slugs, and non-coin objects deposited or inserted into such system and for distinguishing acceptable coins therefrom, and for determining or assisting in determinations of the denominations of the acceptable coins.
It will be appreciated that, throughout this application, the term "coin" may be employed to mean any coin (whether valid or counterfeit), token, slug, washer, or other item which might be used by an individual in an attempt to operate a coin-operated device or system. An "acceptable coin" is considered to be an authentic coin, token, or the like of the monetary system or systems in which or with which the coin-operated device or system is intended to operate and of a denomination which the device or system is intended selectively to receive and to treat as an item of value.
Coin-operated devices and systems of many types and variations have come to be widely employed and are now widely utilized by the consuming public in everyday life. For proper operation, many of such coin-operated devices must employ verification means of various types for distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable coins and for discriminating between various denominations of acceptable coins. Various means and apparatuses have been employed for such purposes, and, in recent years, the use of multiple coin verification means has become widespread in an effort to defeat increasingly sophisticated attempts to "cheat" the coin-operated devices in various manners.
In many coin-operated devices in use today, coin acceptor means are provided for checking the dimensions of a deposited coin to determine whether or not such coin is of a proper size to be an acceptable coin. Most devices that perform such coin sizing checks include some form of mechanical coin sizing means to determine coin dimensions, and some also make use of electrical or electronic means for determining or measuring coin dimensions, including such means as are disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,653,481; 3,739,895; 3,797,307; 3,797,628; and 4,509,633. The present invention is designed and intended to be used for electronically distinguishing between various dimensioned coins deposited in a coin-operated device, and may be readily utilized in conjunction with mechanical coin sizing means and with various other coin verification means in use today or which may be hereafter developed or employed for validating coins, including with means that distinguish between and verify denominations of coins based upon certain characteristics of the coins.